Chapter 683: The Xuanzhen Sect's Attention

Ouyang Jingxuan stared at the straight-backed, composed figure in the hall, his mind a whirlwind of emotions. A tide of excitement washed over his heart, yet it was tangled with an indescribable sense of complexity and regret.

The two conflicting emotions coiled in his chest, refusing to dissipate.

Looking at Yang Jing, the corners of his mouth lifted into a wry yet genuine smile. He let out a soft sigh and said, “This Yang Jing… he’s really given me a sound slap in the face.”

He recalled personally testing the innate talent, comprehension, and potential of both Yang Jing and Chu Yunhai. After a detailed and comprehensive evaluation, Chu Yunhai had been the clear standout in every category. His potential was obviously superior.

It had only been natural, then, for him to designate Chu Yunhai as the sect’s top prospect, the one to receive focused nurturing. He had funneled all the sect’s premium Cultivation Resources to him, hoping Chu Yunhai would achieve a swift breakthrough and become the standard-bearer for the younger generation.

But who could have predicted that in such a short time, Yang Jing—the one who had been deemed slightly inferior—would emerge like a hidden dragon from the abyss? In a single stroke, he had shattered his fetters and stepped firmly into the Qi Absorption Realm.

Chu Yunhai, on the other hand, possessed the best resources the sect could muster and trained tirelessly day and night. Yet, he remained stuck at his bottleneck, a long way from breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm. The disparity was clear as day.

This stark contrast forced him to admit that he had utterly, completely misjudged. It was a preposterous, colossal miscalculation—one that could even be called a grave mistake for a sect elder to make.

Yang Jing’s sudden breakthrough was tantamount to a resounding slap to his face, delivered right in front of all the Peak Masters in the hall.

Inside the grand hall, the Peak Masters exchanged glances, most of them murmuring amongst themselves. They spoke of his poor judgment in selecting the top prospect. Though they didn’t say it outright, their words were laced with pity and skepticism.

Yet, Ouyang Jingxuan wasn’t the least bit angry or ashamed. In fact, his smile widened, and his expression softened with warmth. He murmured to himself in amazement and admiration, ‘So Yang Jing had this card up his sleeve. A slap in the face, eh? Heh, a good one. A damn good one!’

Regardless, Yang Jing was, from beginning to end, a part of the Xuanzhen Sect. He was one of their disciples.

He may have misjudged during the assessment, deeming Yang Jing’s potential inferior to Chu Yunhai’s, but now Yang Jing had, by his own merit, forged a cultivation path far stronger and more brilliant than Chu Yunhai’s.

For the Xuanzhen Sect, this was undoubtedly a tremendous blessing, a joyous occasion beyond their wildest hopes.

Breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm was a monumental challenge, a veritable chasm on the cultivation path for the younger generation of disciples. Even for the sect’s most gifted prodigies, it was far from a simple task. The slightest misstep could leave them stuck at the bottleneck, completely unable to advance.

Chu Yunhai, Bai Ziyu, and Lu Shaohua—all recognized as geniuses within the sect—had been trapped before this very bottleneck for a long time. They had exhausted themselves, yet remained unable to surmount it.

And yet, Yang Jing had come from behind. When no one expected it, he had been the first to shatter his shackles and successfully step into the Qi Absorption Realm. He had achieved the breakthrough that others had desperately sought but failed to attain.

Breaking through to the Qi Absorption Realm at his age already made Yang Jing an exceptionally rare talent within the sect. But what was truly staggering was the astonishingly short time he had spent at this critical bottleneck.

There was no hesitation, no stagnation. In a single, fluid attempt, he had broken through as if it were the most natural thing in the world, encountering no setbacks or obstacles whatsoever.

The mere thought that Yang Jing had broken through the bottleneck so smoothly, in one fell swoop, and stepped firmly into the Qi Absorption Realm caused Ouyang Jingxuan’s heart to skip a beat. An indescribable shock bloomed from the depths of his soul.

At least, in the long, recorded history of the Xuanzhen Sect, a breakthrough to the Qi Absorption Realm with no stagnation, achieved in a single attempt, was simply unprecedented.

This was beyond precedent. It was no longer a matter of simply being talented. It signified that Yang Jing possessed immeasurable potential and a heaven-defying aptitude for cultivation that surpassed all imagination.

The Xuanzhen Sect of today had long since lost its former glory and was on a steady decline. For several consecutive Jintai Grand Competitions, the sect’s younger generation of disciples had all been mediocre, with no standout performers. They were consistently overshadowed by the prodigies of other sects, causing the Xuanzhen Sect’s prestige to wane day by day.

It was almost a foregone conclusion. If the Xuanzhen Sect could not produce a top-tier prodigy capable of turning the tide and reversing its decline—a powerful figure who could dominate the Jintai Grand Competition—then its downward spiral would continue, unending.

Eventually, its influence throughout Jintai Prefecture would plummet to rock bottom, with no hope of recovery.

Ouyang Jingxuan’s gaze was fixed on Yang Jing. Gone from his world-weary eyes was the earlier complexity and regret. All that remained was an anticipation so thick it was palpable, and a fervent, burning hope.

He stared intently at the young man’s silhouette, an incredibly clear and firm premonition rising in his heart.

‘Yang Jing… He is the top prodigy who can lead the Xuanzhen Sect out of this slump and turn its fortunes around! He is the powerful figure the Xuanzhen Sect has been desperately waiting for!’

At this thought, an intense wave of relief washed over Ouyang Jingxuan, a warm current that soothed away all his earlier complex feelings and guilt.

He rejoiced inwardly. ‘I’m so glad Yang Jing wasn’t buried by that single assessment, that he didn’t just accept his lot at the bottom.

‘Instead, he exploded onto the scene with such thunderous force, unleashing his world-shaking talent and potential in the shortest time imaginable. He’s forced the sect’s leadership to notice him, to take him seriously, and now they won’t dare to slight him in the slightest!’